Although there are over 152 million blogs worldwide with 1,896 blog posts being published every minute, blogging isn’t for everyone. Here are 9 reasons to help you decide whether or not blogging is actually for you!
Let’s be real. Although anyone can own a blog, blogging isn’t for everyone. Ouch!
I’m sorry if that offends you 🙁
This is a lesson I learnt quite early in my blogging career. That’s right! You can have a richly rewarding career as a pro blogger.
There may be an estimated 152 million blogs worldwide with 1,896 blog posts published every minute or about 3.39 million blog posts published daily. There are so many blogs because people just start blogging without learning how to blog, how to create a blog, how to start a blog or even the best way to start a blog!
And this is such a big shame because there is so much blogging resource out there. I mean, there are blogging sites for beginners with tips for good blogging, blogging tips for beginners and a wealth of information on how to start a successful blog.
Still, blogging isn’t for everybody! And I will tell you why in a moment.
But first, what’s a blog. And who’s a blogger?
Quick Navigation
Blogging Definition
While this isn’t a beginner’s guide to blogging, it is important to know what a blog is. A blog is an online journal (think diary or journal), which is housed on a web page on the internet. A blog is usually arranged in chronological order from the most recent blog post at the top of the main page to the older entries towards the bottom. Here is an example on our blog page.
The term “weblog” was coined by Jorn Barger on 17 December 1997. The short form, “blog”, was coined by Peter Merholz, who jokingly broke the word weblog into the phrase we blog in the sidebar of his blog Peterme.com in April or May 1999. Shortly thereafter, Evan Williams at Pyra Labs used “blog” as both a noun and verb (“to blog”, meaning “to edit one’s weblog or to post to one’s weblog”) and devised the term “blogger” in connection with Pyra Labs’ Blogger product, leading to the popularization of the terms.
Most Popular Blogging Terminology
Here are the main blogging terms to be familiar with:
- Blog (noun) – an online diary or journal.
- Blog (verb) – to write, edit or post a blog post.
- Blog post (noun) – the content of a blog (noun)
- Blogger (noun) – a person who blogs (verb), keeps or owns a blog (noun).
- Blogging (verb) – the act of writing a blog post.
A blog is a way of sharing information, which people can read, webmasters can link into, and search engines can access. It serves to bridge the gap between the demand for information and the supply of information. There is probably a blog for every subject or topic under the sun in blogosphere. Therefore, blogs help to fill the huge gap between the demand and supply of information. There is a sense in which a blog encourages social networking.
The First Blog Ever
The very first blog post was published on October 7th 1994, by Dave Winer, a software developer in California, credited by the Guardian as having invented the blog.
A new blog is created somewhere in the world every half a second. Since there 86,400 seconds in a day, it means 172,800 blogs are created every day. 172,800 new blogs every single day!
But blogging isn’t necessarily for everyone who blogs.
IMHO, blogging is only for those who are either passionate or disciplined enough about blogging, that they are willing and able to invest time, money and everything else that’s required to improve themselves, and make themselves better at blogging.
Here’s another way to look at it.
Blogging for Money
If blogging is an expensive hobby that drains your resources, then blogging isn’t for you. However, if blogging brings you an income (no matter how small), then you’re probably on the right path to becoming a blogger!
Want to know how to blog for money, or put differently, how to make money blogging, then check out this awesome article 12 Pro Bloggers Reveal How They Make A Living Blogging
So are you cut out to be a blogger? There’s only one way to find out!
9 Reasons Blogging May Not Be For You
#1. You’re not prepared to work hard to see your blog succeed.
Blogging isn’t for you because you’re not prepared to work hard (night and day) to see your blog succeed.
Think about it this way.
There’s an estimated 152 million blogs worldwide jostling for the same readers as you. Why do you think yours will stand out, if you don’t work at it?
In the world of blogging, success is earned. It’s not given on a platter.
Jon Morrow of Smart Blogger puts it this way:
If you want to succeed, you can’t wait for the world to give you attention the way a cripple waits for food stamps to arrive in the mail. You have to be a warrior. You have to attack with the madness of a mother whose child is surrounded by an army of predators.
You can’t just write them down and expect them to succeed. Writing isn’t about putting words on the page, any more than being a parent is about the act of conception. It’s about breathing life into something and then working to make sure that life becomes something beautiful.
That means spending ten hours on a post, instead of 30 minutes.
That means writing a guest post every week, instead of one every few months.
You have to realize that your blog is more than just a collection of ones and zeros floating through cyberspace. It’s more than the words on the page. Your blog is a launchpad for your ideas, and you are the rocket fuel that lifts them off the ground.
#2. You think blogging success will come instantly.
You can’t succeed as a blogger because you think you can have instant coffee, sorry, instant success with blogging. And you don’t have the stamina to stay for the long term.
In every field of endeavor, success comes through innovation, and hard work. And it doesn’t happen overnight.
Blogging is no different. In fact, somebody once said that the only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary.
[callout]If you don’t build your dream, someone else will hire you to help them build theirs. -Tony Gaskins.[/callout]
There may be many stories out there of successful bloggers. But most of the time these stories do not talk much about the time it takes to get to the point of success. The result is that often bloggers expect too much in too short a time – and give up long before they can realistically expect success.
#3. You’re not disciplined enough to post consistently
You’re not cut out for blogging because you’re not ready to post consistently. You’re too sporadic for your own good!
Consistency is key – if you want to build your audience.
You must be consistent and post when you feel like it.
You must also be disciplined enough to post when writing a blog post is the last thing on your mind.
By writing a blog post regularly, your audience knows to expect you. They will come to accept the flow of your work.
Statistics show that bloggers who post consistently throughout the month, see around 4 times as many leads as those who blog sporadically.
You don’t have to post everyday. You don’t even have to post every week. But I think you need to post between 2 – 4 times a month, every month. Be consistent. Just be there!
#4. You’re neither willing nor able to deliver value
Your blog needs valuable content. Blog content that’s unique and compelling. Unfortunately, you’re not willing to provide valuable blog content to your readers.
We all have off or barely functional days, every now and again. Because we are human. However, you’re different because for you everyday is barely functional. That’s why you can’t hack it as a blogger.
To keep your audience coming back for more, you’ve got to do your best to provide value, more often than not.
Google’s John Mueller confirms that quality is key. He writes, “There’s no minimum length, and there’s no minimum number of articles a day that you have to post, nor even a minimum number of pages on a website. In most cases, quality is better than quantity. Our algorithms explicitly try to find and recommend websites that provide content that’s of high quality, unique, and compelling to users. Don’t fill your site with low-quality content, instead work on making sure that your site is the absolute best of its kind.”
A constant stream of new blog content that is both compelling and insanely valuable is the foundation for growing an audience. Each piece does not have to be perfect; it just needs to be interesting and valuable to your target audience.
#5. You’re not ready to build an email list
You’re wasting your time calling yourself a blogger because you don’t have a strategy for growing your email list and using it to communicate with your target audience on a consistent basis.
As a blogger, your email list is your greatest asset. Not your content. Not even your experience or expertise! Email represents the backbone of nearly every successful content initiative and digital marketing success story you’ve ever heard about. There is no better tool for building your online community and communicating with them on a regular basis than email.
Email is a far more friendly medium than social media. When people see your email in their inbox along with all their other friends, this builds trust. And when you start a conversation in someone’s inbox, they feel like they can be themselves and share whatever they may be struggling with, what they want, or questions they have.
If you’ve been putting aside the idea of building an email list for whatever reason, it’s time to face the facts.
Email isn’t going anywhere. It remains the #1 way to sell your products and services online.
That’s why your money is in your Email List. So start building your email list right NOW! If you need any help to build your email list click here.
Still not sure about why you need an email list?
Check out this super helpful post: Electronic Marketing: 12 Reasons Why You Need A Targeted Email List
#6. You’re not prepared to network with other bloggers
For reasons best known to you, you’re not prepared to network. That’s another reason why blogging isn’t for you.
You’ve got to realize that blogging is not a one-way traffic. It isn’t isn’t all about your blog. It isn’t all ‘me, I and myself’. No!
Blogging success is not just publishing content and spreading the word about it. A large part of blogging is also networking, connecting and collaborating. Or in other words: Blogging is about nurturing a community.
Part of networking is commenting on blogs, primarily to make friends, but also to drive traffic. Make comments that are thoughtful and add value to the conversation. When was the last time you commented on another blog post? Are you sharing other blog posts? Be a good neighbor and help other bloggers by commenting on, and sharing their posts.
#7. Like Matt Cutts, you think guest blogging is dead
You’re not a blogger at heart because the idea of guest blogging revolts you.
But first what is guest blogging? According to Lifewire, “guest blogging is a method used by bloggers to increase blog traffic where bloggers write posts to be published on other bloggers’ blogs. Guest blogging can work in one of two ways: You write a post to appear on another person’s blog. Another person writes a post to appear on your blog.”
Kristi Hines in The Ultimate Guide to Guest Blogging published on Kissmetrics, says that typically there are three main goals for guest blogging:
- Positioning yourself as an authority and well-known name in the industry.
- Getting exposure (traffic) back to your website.
- Building backlinks to your website.
In 2014, Google’s Matt Cutts got the blogging community in an uproar over whether or not guest blogging was dead. (It’s not.) Actually, what Matt said was that guest blogging for “backlinks” was no longer going to be tolerated by Google and that we should be especially concerned with spammy links in guest posts intended for SEO. He cautioned us to only accept guest posts from trusted bloggers who we could vouch for.
Which makes sense. Right?
If you want to learn the basics of guest blogging, then check out Jon Morrow’s Guest Blogging Certification Program. It walks you step-by-step through the entire process. There are over 50 lessons, hours of video instruction, and fill-in-the blank templates to help you with your pitches.
Alternatively, for step by step strategies on how to come up with good ideas for guest posts and pitch the blog owners, see these two excellent articles:
- Neil Patel’s How to Find the Best Places to Guest Blog
- Buffer App’s The Ultimate Blueprint for Guest Blogging and Syndication
If you need help finding blogs that accept guest blogs, then look no further. Check out this awesome resource: 3,000 Blogs that Accept Guest Posts put together by Elvis Michael which you can download here.
#8. You’re neither creative nor do you want to improve
I know you’re not a blogger because you’re not prepared to think outside the box! As bloggers, we must be creative. We must come up with new ideas all the time.
Don’t just do what everyone else is doing. Great and successful bloggers don’t just follow the norm. They play to their strengths. They think outside the box.
You have a unique message. You have a unique voice. Make use of it.
Secondly, you’re not willing to invest time, money and everything else that’s required to improve your craft, and make you better at blogging. You’ve got realize that your great post from last week doesn’t give you a hall pass. Experiment. Learn from those posts that didn’t do well with the search engines. Read other great bloggers in your niche. Assay, break down, cut, analyze and dissect what they’re doing and try to improve your game. Go on courses. Attend conferences.
Be a part of 3 Mastermind groups:
- One of your peers.
- One that you pay to be part of; and
- One that people pay you to be part of.
#9. You’re not ready to put your readers first.
I know that blogging isn’t for you because you think blogging is all about you: Your concerns, what you’re passionate about and what you want your readers to know.
When I first started blogging, this discovery shocked me: people are only interested in wiiFM – what’s in it for me! Nobody gives a hoot about your products, your services or you. Most people don’t care about you or your products.
People aren’t interested in you. They’re interested in themselves.
Dale Carnegie
What do people really care about? Solutions to their problems, access to compelling information and recognition. If you can provide content that provides quick solutions to the challenges faced by your target audience, they will provide you with bread. For the rest of your life. What more can a blogger ask for?
Now your turn
So, is blogging for you? If it isn’t, simply get over it and move on with your life!
Question: Are you a blogger? What do you think about popular blogging? Do you use a content management system for automating your blog content? If so which? Are you making money through your blog?
Is blogging for you? If so, why?
For such a new blog, AstuteCopyblogging definitely hit the ground running! Everything is neatly in place and just screams ‘Superb Quality.’
Speaking of guest blogging (from your article), I have gotten a handful responses from people who swear this is “sooo ten years ago.” And perhaps that’s the biggest problem with many bloggers: If something is now a few years old, some seem to think it’s irrelevant and ineffective by now.
But you know what? More power to them. They can do their thing, and the rest of us can do ours (and laugh hysterically at the end of the day).
Soldier on, 😉
Elvis
Hi Elvis,
Thank you for visiting us and joining the conversation.
And thank you for those kind words – Wow, coming from a well established blogger like you…you’ve made my day!!
I totally agree with your point about guest blogging. Just like the email list, guest blogging is here to stay!
Best regards,
Pedro
It is 🙂
Hey Mohammed,
I hear you – loud and clear. Blogging is definitely FOR you 🙂
Soldier on, brother!
Best regards,
Pedro
Hello, Pedro.
Like the quote “Demand and supply of information”. And thanks for providing quite a lot of valuable information on blogging.
In my small experience in this domain, Blogging is for passionate people, who are ready to venture an entrepreneur’s journey, with an uncompromising willingness to seek success and offer information that can add value to people in a way that the value we provide converts him into a brand advocate.
Hi Nishant,
Thanks for stopping by and joining the conversation!
Glad you found the post useful 🙂
You’re so right about passion, ambition, desire and discipline being requirements for any blogger who wants to succeed.
Best regards,
Pedro
Hi Pedro,
You’re so right. Blogging takes discipline, persistence and dedication! We must develop staying power if we are to view blogging as more than an expensive hobby.
Awesome post:)
Regards,
Pete
Hi Pete,
Thanks for your comments.
Glad you liked it!
Best regards,
Pedro
Hi Pedro,
Is blogging for me? Am I a blogger? Have I got what it takes to hack it?
Wow, some food for thought there!
Thanks for another awesome blog post!
Best,
Grace
Hey Grace,
Glad you loved it!
Best regards,
Pedro
Hey Pedro,
I totally agree with you! When I started blogging I had no idea how much time I would need to invest in my blog!!
Hi Stephanie,
Good to see you here 🙂
And thank you for joining the conversation.
You’re right, blogging is not for the fainthearted!!
Best regards
Pedro
Hi Pedro,
This is exactly the kind of out of box thinking that I need to learn. Great concept and well executed article
Thanks.
Glad you found it useful 🙂
Best regards
Pedro
I like how honest you are. And also, there’re some great tips for blogging!
Hey Courtney,
Thank you for your kind words. You know, honesty is the best policy 🙂
But seriously, I’m glad you could see beyond the headline 🙂
Best regards,
Pedro
Hey Pedro,
Great content. Love to read the blog. Thanks for sharing.
Glad you love our blog 🙂
Thanks for stopping by!
Best regards,
Pedro
This was really a great read and very thought-provoking. I confess – I blog for my small business in an effort to provide value to my audience and prospective clients, but I really struggle with building my email list and posting consistently. I also blog about parenting and faith, among other things, and I use that as an outlet for “when I feel like it.” Your post brought some important points to the forefront of my mind and I intend to reevaluate and plan my posts for the next few months. I AM a blogger, but I needed this kick in the rear. Thank you!
Hi Merry,
Great to see you here on Astute Copy Blogging. And thank you so much for a great comment and your kind words!
I’m glad you found the post useful. Let us know how you get on, as you re-evaluate and plan for the near future.
Best regards,
Pedro
This post is so informative. It’s very true, hard work breeds success. Blogging is not necessarily a hobby, it’s something that requires a lot of dedication. Thanks for the reminder 🙂
Hi Marianne,
Thank you for stopping by and joining our conversation. Glad you liked the post.
Great comment too!
Best regards,
Pedro
Hi Pedro,
A wonderful post especially for someone like me who is a beginner at best in this whole new world of blogging. I love and simply adore writing and I am following all aspects you mentioned, however the idea of monetising my blog has never crossed my mind, till now, to be truthful. Simply because I have a very flourishing and successful full-time job that also gives me great satisfaction. However your opinion is definitely thought provoking.
Hey Gypsy Gurl,
Thanks for visiting Astute Copy Blogging. I’m delighted you found the post engaging and thought-provoking 🙂
I see you have a passion for writing and have a fantastic full-time job. Not a problem. If your blog is setup properly, you can monetize it and earn a lot in passive income. One way to do that is to build a huge email list. Something we specialize in here at Astute Copy Blogging.
All the best with your writing.
Best regards,
Pedro
Hi Pedro,
This is a great article, very insightful. Am a new blogger and I blog because I believe that my story is not mine to keep but for someone out there who it might make a difference to. When I first saw the title of your blog post, it threw me off and was curious to see why you think blogging isn’t for everyone. Am glad I stopped by.
Hi Agnes,
My word!! Yours has got to be the comment of the week!!!!
First off, thank you for stopping by. Secondly, thanks for sharing your perspective on blogging. I’m delighted that the headline stopped you in your tracks and made you want to read the post. For a few days I agonized over the headline – whether to change it or keep it as it is. Now I’m glad I kept it. And seeing your comment just makes it so worthwhile!
At Astute Copy Blogging, it’s always our pleasure to help new bloggers. So feel free to contact us if you require any assistance 🙂
All the best with your blogging career.
Best regards,
Pedro
This is a great post! A lot of people go into blogging thinking they are going to make money from day one! It takes work!
Hey Megan,
You’re so right – Blogging success takes time! Glad you liked the post. And thanks for stopping by.
Best regards,
Pedro
Hi Pedro,
Great list of all the things that bloggers should NOT do.
I think the most important point you make is that your chief goal as a blogger must be to improve the lives of your readers.
That typically means … helping them solve their problems, or get past specific challenges that they are facing.
These are certainly “must not” do’s for any blogger who is traveling along the path to success.
-Donna
Hi Donna,
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your perspective. It’s always an honor to have you visit our blog!
I like your point about our chief goal as bloggers being to improve the lives of our readers. I am a firm believer in giving our readers not only what they WANT, but also what they NEED!
Best regards,
Pedro
Totally a great list! I never thought about the aspect of an email list but mostly because i find myself not having enough time or patience to make it work for me… I totally gotta go figure it out soon haha
Hi Sophia,
Glad you found the post useful 🙂 One of the great things about having your email list is that it can work on autopilot if you set it up properly. Let us know if you need any help to set up your email system.
Best regards,
Pedro
At first I was nerves starting my blog. And I wondered if I could do it, now I about 3 months in and I love it. It is a lot more work than I thought though.
Hi Kristal,
Thanks for joining the conversation, and your experience as a beginner blogger. Blogging is a lot of hard work, but it can be fun too 🙂
Best regards,
Pedro
Blogging is a lot of hard work. Lots to learn and it helps if you have a mentor.
Hi Jennifer,
You’re so right – Although blogging is a lot of hard work, having a mentor makes it a lot easier. That’s one of the reasons why I talked about being part of 3 Mastermind groups – One of a Mentor that you pay to be part of, one of your peers, and the other of people who pay you – i.e. people you’re mentoring.
Thanks for stopping by.
Best regards,
Pedro
I have always wanted to learn how to blog and I am starting to learn more about it.
Hey Margarette,
That’s fantastic to know 🙂
Here at Astute Copy Blogging, we breathe, eat, and sleep all things blogging. So you’re absolutely at the right place, at the right time!
Best regards,
Pedro
These are so true! Blogging started as a hobby and I found out quickly how serious it all was. I am posting twice a week and it is definitely taking up time but I do enjoy it.
Hi Nicki,
Thanks for adding your voice to the conversation and sharing your experience. Great to have you on Astute Copy Blogging.
Best regards,
Pedro
I agree with you. I thought blogging was easy before I started, but now that I have been blogging for awhile, oh boy do I realize how much time and effort it’s needed to build a good blog.
Hi Wynne,
Thank you for stopping by and joining the conversation.
You’re right – it takes a lot of time and effort to build an awesome blog!
Best regards,
Pedro
I think I’ve got all these down but the subscription one. It always seems so vain, though everyone does continue to say it’s the secret to success. After reading your blog last week, I finally went ahead and decided to put some energy into it.
Thanks Shawn!
Glad you found it useful 🙂
Delighted you’ve decided to put some energy into building your email list. Good luck with that. If you need any help, please let us know.
Best regards,
Pedro
Thanks Pedro, will do. And I put in for that contest you sent out as well. 🙂
That’s awesome 🙂
LOL…I had to smile. Thanks for saying what many of us want to say. Blogging is a lot of hard work and if you are not prepared to do it right, then I say leave it alone.
Hey Mardene,
Thanks for adding your perspective to this conversation. As you said, it’s what a lot of us bloggers want to say 🙂
Keep up your awesome work at the Concierge Librarian.
Best regards
Pedro
Thank you for such an insightful article. If anything you helped confirm I am ready to be a blogger and I have started in the right direction.
Hey Laura,
Glad you found it useful 🙂
Best regards,
Pedro
Hey Pedro,
Good post here. I’m not sure I agree with point #3 because you can still be cut out for blogging and not post consistently. Take myself for example. I post maybe 1 post every month or so (give or take) and that’s because when I tried blogging every week on my other blog, it wasn’t working. I was getting no engagement .. no promotion was done because there was no time..a whole bunch of stuff. So now I blog ‘sporatically’ as you said and the results for me has been much better.
Other than that point I agree with everything else. Great stuff.
– Andrew
Hi Andrew,
Thank you for joining the conversation and sharing your experience. Interesting perspective too 🙂 I think that posting once a month (give or take, as you say) is actually being consistent. I think the key is start as you mean to go, and keep it up because your audience will expect a post from you at the time you have ‘scheduled’. If your posting schedule is monthly, then consistency will mean posting monthly, even when you don’t feel like it.
Thanks again for stopping by. Always a delight to see you.
Best regards,
Pedro